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Evening all, finally managed to get on to post an update!
we excellent start from everyone likeing it, yea think we will have to cap it with the amount of people we ahve now but you are probably right squig.

so anyway photos are crap but here is my start.
began them yesterday and been frantically painting today, not quite finished a few more highlights but not much more to go.

this was this morning before I began.


and these two are from around 10 mins ago

very nice dark. Where are your empire guys from any way?

well its great to see the community has enthused about this project. well here is hoping more awesome is posted.

Thanks bama they are the forge world mannans blades.
Loving the skaven although I don't envy you with all the painting! Millions of rat men!

So this is my tester dude:

http://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/545841-Ghost%20Tiger.html

Not quite happy with the shade of the highlight on his skin, and obvs he's not based but this is the general approach. I got a first unit of shock troops and I have enough heads to work with those as a start.

So I'm off!

Loving the projects so far guys keep it up

Dark...those are some cool swordmen. Eh i don't mind painting all the rat men i also have an imperial guard army so lots of dudes and tanks everywhere!
at 3500 points i have 286 models to paint...so this is just the beginning

not too keen on the gun khol but the tiger colors are very affective...the green armor is ok too...like the tiger stripes but not the green...i'd go with a light brown or a dusty yellow maybe...i dunno skin came out well though just a few more highlights and gtg.

ill have some more to post up in the morning.

Wow Kholzerino, the tiger pattern hurts my eyes. But definitely in a good way!

I'm not sold on the green though, maybe try a grey/blue?

Dark, what are you going to be using for a spot colour on the swordsmen? I like the direction your going, but I feel they need something to really make them pop atm.

I like the swordsmen, I agree tho, the need something to make them Pop!

I didn't take a picture of the start so I apologize for that. Angels of Vengeance run Black armor, gold trim and red spot color.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Sorry for the low quality of the picture, all I have is my Iphone at the moment. This is my first brush at them, C+C welcome!

I plan on adding squad markings using transfers on the shoulders and I'll be printing my own chapter icons

They Also need to be properly based, just a dry brush on them for now so you don't lose them on the black bases.

The spot colour is green, it's not showing very well in the photos in all honesty but I also haven't highlighted all the way up yet.
Those marine look awesome azalle

good looking marines azalle very subtle hioghtlighting of the black looks great...

I'm going to segue into unwarranted critique mode here if that's okay with folks . I hope you guys are just as helpful when I post up my efforts .

Darkmoonlight - looking very nice, loving the rich blue especially. However, the pictures are a little iffy, have you tried putting a piece of paper behind? Just get a bit of paper and blu-tac the back to a wall and let it rest, so it curves. Then put the miniature on the flat bit at the bottom and take pics. A lamp angled towards the mini, especially if its in the opposite direction from the main light, essentially lighting the main light's shadows, also helps to see details. Maybe crop the pics so they show up larger and I think they'll be improved 100% and we can get on with properly admiring your work . Only other thing is that the blue shield and the blue arm blend into each other. I couldn't even tell it was a shield at first, I thought it was a strangely shaped sleeve. Perhaps consider changing the colour of the shield to make it stand out? White, maybe? That could be your spot colour too if you want something to throw in with the brown, green and blue.

Oh, and I used the magic of photoshop to give you an idea of what the bottom picture with my suggestions used might look like, hope you don't mind. Unfortunately even photoshop can't do much about the backdrop, the blurriness on the base and the deep shadows on the front of the legs, but it had a good go .


Kholzerino - first of all, please, please, please post pics instead of links. When you're in the Gallery, look to the right beneath the picture and see there's a couple of boxes. The first one is a dropdown box with Recommended Sizes in it. Everything automatically defaults to Medium at first, but you can change the size by selecting from that list from a tiny thumbnail all the way up to the entire enormous image (please spoiler it if you go for that ). Some narrow pics need to be brought down a size category as it goes off width, not height. The box below it says "Forums:", just click on that and copy it (after selecting your size if you're changing it) and paste it into your post. That will show a picture which will be linked to that Gallery page.
Top Tip: You can change the two letters after the number on the image part of the link to change sizes while in the post. So "http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2013/10/17/548002_mb-.png" is Small (mb). Thumbnail is "th", Medium is "sm" and the maximum size doesn't have any, just the number and then a dash "-" (not an underscore "_"), so 548002-.png in this case.
So yours would be:


On the subject of the mini, I adore the tiger stripes and the orange. The green however, I think the problem is that you've gone from a dark green and edge-highlighted with a very bright green, too bright for that base colour. A paint-wash or a glaze of green might help to bring the two colours together, or just neatening and thinning the edge highlighting on the gun especially. The boots are excellent and definitely what you should be aiming for in my opinion. Also, what's with the white staring dots for eyes? They're certainly eye-catching, is this regiment possessed?

Master Azalle - perhaps it's the angle, but apart from the details I can't see any other colours apart from black on the marines. Are you going to be giving them coloured panels here and there to break it up a bit? They've been well painted, I can see the grey edge-highlighting and that certainly saves them from looking like they've only been primed, and the photograph is good, though I'd like a few pics on their own eye-level of the squad leader . However they seem to be somewhat all one colour, if you see what I mean. It's a bit unrelenting.

Ignatius-Grulgor - Iggy! Can I have all your metal Chaos Daemon models if you die? Go on! Your Plague Tower is insane, I like it. The sword arm sticking out made me laugh. The faces look a little childish though, I don't know if that was on purpose but they look like the "Scream" or extremely unhappy snowmen rather than actual faces.. it might be the lack of a nose or the lack of definition of a nose cavity or the jaw. It still works, as its Nurgle, but it may not look as grotesque as you'd be hoping for. It's a very big plague tower. Everyone and their dog is going to be able to shoot at that thing . You're a brave man.

Eclipseone - *jawdrop* Those are looking gorgeous. If I have any criticism it's that I'd stick to doing the "exhaust" fumes on the jetbikes with weathering powders rather than the airbrush, so it doesn't look like a shadow, which it does a bit here. Unless it was meant to be a shadow, in which case I'd say shade it with a deep red instead. Love the gems, though I think the white highlight is a little too big on the bike nearest to us, the ones with two highlights there instead are perfect . Maybe could do with more blending between the blue and the black on the gems, with more black and less top highlight colour on the bottom. On the closer picture also you've got some thin lines of cream that went a bit too far on the edges. Over all though, beautiful bases, great picture.

Melcavuk - More Chaos! So this seems to be the WFB plus Chaos and Dark Eldar Tale of Ten Gamers . I really, really love your Rotlord, looks like a conversion based off the famous Nurgle Lord? No idea where you got the head from though. Looks fantastic. If I had to split hairs, I'd go with that the eyes could do with a light wash around the "sockets" to help define them and let them stand out, as yellow against a pale green backdrop they sort of get lost in it. I can't really see with the Carrion Herald, could do with several larger pictures and more detail shots honestly. It's a busy model. But it looks great, really nice colour choices too. Nurgle-y but also light and bright. I think the Flylord could perhaps do with some more obviously rusty armour, the shiny steel just seems wrong in a Nurgle army . Plague Bearers pic, again, could do with being a bit bigger, or at least showing some of them off individually so we can get a good look, but look great from here .

alabamaheretic - You may want to use the paper background trick, even outside it'll help scatter the light back onto the model. Also may want to get as close to the light hitting the mini full on as you can get without your own shadow ruining the shot. A lot easier nearer to the middle of the day than later. Nice garden though! As for the mini, looking good so far, nice and grimy with plenty of definition. Is the "smoke/fire" finished in his censor, because it could really do with some further highlighting or drybrushing to get it to look suitably floaty/bright. Cropping if you can would also help . As for bases, someone recently put up a tutorial for meadow bases. Then you could stamp some down and paint it black for where your skaven have killed it.

Pyro Pete - Same suggestions for photos, but your mini's look great, even if the red looks a little overwashed. Perhaps try brown instead of black red time or just put the wash in the recesses? However, you seem to have a problem with your metallics? I'm not sure. On the last photo, there are things which look like giant screw heads which are dusty, looking like they've been drybrushed badly, and the colour has extended over onto the red in a few places. Is that due to problems with metallics, or is that a grey or blue that got out of hand? Either way, a glaze or very light paint-wash to try to minimise the texture and retouching the red back up will help if it was not intended. If I'm off base, please let me know, your painting is very good elsewhere.

If folks want to edit pics but don't have anything at home, try out http://www.pixlr.com. It's free and fast and there's nothing to download apart from your finished photo.

Soooo... did I miss anybody?

If it is not too late might I join in with some homebrew Marines I have just started?

It appears to be more the merrier type thing so I hope no one minds.

Aaahh, I found the green eventually Dark. I think the positioning in the photos isn't helping them either, all the green bits visible are in shadow to start with An extra run of highlighting should really bring them out you're right.

Well, here's my first contribution.

These are the 5 boyz I had completely finished before the start of this thread:













My only question would be, should I stick with the ice weapons or change to a sort of flinty grey stone? If I stick with the ice I will eventually come back and add snow effects the the bases etc.


Aaaand I just saw LC's post, after I put this up. Now I can see the green Photoshop does indeed do wonders. I agree on changing the shield color as well, maybe just a metal colour?

I'm going to have to try and take better photos, will be using the paper trick and having a go in GIMP too. Thanks for sharing your wisdom LC!

LadyCassandra Thanks for the such a great critique! I love it.

- Photos: I can definately work on a better angle and cant take one shortly and post it up.

- All Black Issue: To be honest, one of the reasons I went with this specific successor chapter was because I would not have to put too much time in to get them table top ready (Heresey! i know i know)
They will bet getting the Red Tactical transfers on their right shoulders and I'll be picking up transfer sheets to print the chapter symbol and those will be added as well to help keep them from looking like black statuary. The eyes will definately be given more attention to help make the eyes stand out and not get lost in the grim darkness.

I am open to suggestions for additional color - their fluff suggests that these guys are even more grim dark then than Dark Angels themselves. My knee jerk reaction would be to pick out some of the additional details in gold (chest icons for one) I also have several of the chapter upgrade kits with all the assorted bits, I could add more DA Iconography or more purity seals (As that was the other chapter qark, these guys and the Gardians of the Covenant (Silver armor, red robes).

PurpleSquig I like the ice effect and think that adding snow would be a great addition to the mini!

In painting news I finished (and with more colors!) my lascannon weilding devastatos. Their sgt lost a fight with gravity and then his one arm went to the furce as it flew through the vent into the warp... sooo once I prime and re-attack a new arm (Which should happen tonight) I will post up the devastators as.

Very nice squig.

Lady C...i tried your paper thing today and i do say they look better...i know it sucks particularly with my army as they are dark shadows and light colors.

any way completed the squad till i pick up my order. so i decided to add to my goal some since my first goal was achieved. So in addition tot he stuff i stated I will be adding a rat ogre, poisoned wind mortar and 5 guys from the hand weapon squad two dudes and the command.

interesting take on some bases...still tossing about ideas....like i said in my thread my main oppenants are high elves and vampire counts...was thinkng one of them....or i can base them off a notion of a board im attempting to build...thats in the planning stages. but it would be a swamp...it would do triple duty as it would serve for my lizard men, the skaven and my plague marine army that i have started...again im kinda drawn to the snow and dirt idea like they are in the mountains that would work well for my next project which will be a secret till the skaven are done...but if your smart and i know you guys are you might be able to figure it out. But the goal through this entire thread is to do four armies of fantasy. Starting with the skaven...then it will move either to lizards or my secret project(s). but untill the skaven are at 3,500 points i am not at liberty/won't say what the other projects are. any way have some pictures for my rambling.






till later yall
Bama

Nice work guys! This is going to be a great thread. Thanks for all the comments.

LadyCassandra - great critique! I'm a scale modeller struggling with these silly small details like gems! This was my first attempt at it and I totally agree with what you're saying. My hand is still not all that steady, I'll probably paint over the gems as try again. The exhaust effect looks a bit off here because of the lighting used, truth be told I ran out of pigment setter so I ha to go with the airbrush It's almost impossible to tell but the orange here is actually a pearlescent, so those cream lines that may look like a missed brush stroke are actually where I dinged the naked model with my knife during the clean up stage; and light is reflecting off them. So, all the deviations on color is just how the light is reflecting at those angles. Also, if you look close enough, there is a certain roughness to the hood of the jetbike to simulate metal. I was going to do a faded paint job from one color to another but I've seen that done too much on warhammer models that I decided to try a pearl/candy effect.

Keep up the good work guys and I appreciate any comments or criticisms as I'm new to this game.

Taking a leaf out of Lady Cass's book I've gone through the people thus far and listed my thoughts, briefer and less helpful but its been great looking at everyones progress:

Lady Cass: Those are some really nice conversions and what I assume to be classic models, they look like they're coming together really well and if its going to be an entirely converted army its going to be really interesting seeing the progression.

Warp Angels: Fantastic Start, and fantastic forgeworld models, cant lie I'm jealous that you've gotten them especially that fulgrim model. Are you looking to move onto the new Kakaphoni models that have come out cause they look fantastic

Darkmoonlight - I agree with Cass that the shield could do with some kind of edge highlighting or battle damage to help define its edge away from the rest of the blue on the model but otherwise a really eye catching scheme and definately going to stand out on the battlefield. I really enjoyed the detailing on Forgeworlds empire models when I dabbled with them for some of my imperial guard a while back and you seem to be doing well with them.


Kholzerino - Tiger stripes are fantastic, eye catching and bright and something that I wouldnt even attempt to do myself at this stage and they've come out really well. Gotta agree on the green however that it doesnt seem to blend with the scheme at this stage, I'm sure there are ways to make the contrast a little less stark and tie it in but with how awesome the tiger striping is the gun stands out that much more to me.

Master Azalle - Rather than neccessarily adding in another colour you could use weathering/battle damage/powders to give more definition to the model. I really like how grimdark they look right now and give off a kind of Reaperish appearance with the blackness. It'd tie in with being grimm and stubborn and possibly with ongoing warfare/sieges to tie them in with their bases too.

Ignatius-Grulgor - Huge fan of the plague tower, really big and eye catching modelling project and something I'd love to move onto doing when I've gotten through the core of my army, the cartoonish faces dont stand out too much to me currently but I've always found nurgle to have a kind of cartoony aspect especially in its nurglings which would tie in really well.

alabamaheretic - New pictures are alot nicer but you could do with some better lighting on them, at the moment some of them are still a little hard to see with the shadows but the pictures are alot easier to see model definition of. Always been a huge fan of skaven and I'm really looking forward to seeing how the horde grows with time.

Pyro Pete - Really great colour scheme and edge definition, they're eye catching and I've always been partial to red colour schemes (in that nearly every army I have is red). That riptide is looking awesome and despite hating crisis suit models your paint job is making them look nice. Just to echo what was already said a light box or backdrop would really help those photos to stand out more

Eclipseone - Really nice bikes there, great basing and really good combination between the two. Are you doing any conversions on the riders at all, I have always found them to be one of the parts of the jetbikes for eldar that held up the worst and can ruin otherwise great models.

For my own bits I have a few more select shots of plague bearers and some of my rotty horrors:

Bama - Nice progress, the new photos are also a big improvement.

I think swamp bases would be awesome, dabbling with water effects is always fun How are you going to base them after having them all down though? I tend to find it looks like the models are sinking, not walking. Although, I guess that works for a swamp...


Melcavuk - Those rotty horrors I really like, I think the scheme works so well. Oddly, it makes them look far more daemonic than the plague bearers in my opinion.

Have you done those four in just 2 days?!

Those 4 are my test scheme from before sorry, They were done as of an evening as the scheme is a very easily transferable one though I do have my box of unassembled horrors to work on after I have done my hounds. I will be picking up some more white primer this weekend to make a move on them. The hounds themselves are now primed black and will be airbrushed through their greys this evening and the work proper on them will commence this weekend when I'm on holiday from work.

Squig- Glad to hear the pics are improving.
Yea swamp bases make sense with the slightly sunk. so it would still give the illusion of walking in muck...i do have some water effects not sure how to actually pull this off will have to research it some more...

mel- really enjoying your daemons they pick horrors look great! actually curious about your flesh hounds now. enjoy your holiday off and get some good work in on them.

Elclispe- i never seen a candy effect and i have seen very few pearl effects so i look forward to your experiment.

The scary thing about close to three hundred models is burn out...but i think with you guys i should stay motivated. I always look forward to seeing the comments and critiques that are put up and trying to implement them.

In other news I think I might reach for the brass ring as to avoid skaven burn out...i am gonna add some lizard men into the mix too. after completing the five skaven with hand weapons

im gonna attempt to do a scar vet/old scar on foot along with 10 skink skirmishers

UPDATE on what needs to be completed:
20 skaven with hand weapons and shields
old scar/scar vet on foot
12 skink skirmishers

reason behind this is my skaven need some one else to fight besides the high elves and vampires.

Things Completed
20 Skaven with spears and shields
Master Moulder
Warlord
Warlock Engineer
poisoned wind mortar
rat ogre

Pictures:

The Skaven look great Bama. If I could, i would suggest throwing in some darker metallics to break the model up a bit. With the Rat Ogre in particular the details start to blend together so it becomes hard to distinguish individula items.

Ah I see, I thought that had been obscenely fast Melcavuk Which models are you using for the hounds? I'm having trouble imagining the base flesh hounds in nurgle colours, but you managed it with the horrors so who knows!

Bama, you work mind bogglingly fast! I think that these skaven may get finished quite a bit ahead of my orks, even considering you have about 3 times the model count... That's nuts.

I agree with Azalle about the rat ogre though, he seems too uniform at the moment. Darker metallics and picking out the stitches in his skin in some dark colour would go a long way to fixing this Finally, how come he's so shiny? Was he still wet in that picture?

 PurpleSquig wrote:
Ah I see, I thought that had been obscenely fast Melcavuk Which models are you using for the hounds? I'm having trouble imagining the base flesh hounds in nurgle colours, but you managed it with the horrors so who knows!

Chaos warhounds because from a model and price point I vastly prefer them to the flesh hounds, it would have been crippling to the later parts of my army to blow so much of my budgets on hounds at this stage.

In a Flurry of Hooby Madness I got my 1st three squads up to table top standard. Still open to ideas / suggestions for what to add to or additional details to pick out on these guys.

Might be a dumb question, but is it too late to join?
Got tons i need to paint but really dont have the kick i need to get started.
Shouldnt be soo bad once ive started though.

Yes the riders for the bikes will converted heavily. Going to use :

Legs from the reaver jetbike kit
Front toroso from the rider / high elf shadow warriors
Cape from the shadow warriors
Arms from shadow warriors
And weapons are undecided

For the farseers ill use most of the plastic farseer kit an the legs from the reavers

I can't wait to see what you put together for your minis eclipse! that sounds like a sqweet conversion job!

Photos redone so the flashdoesnt wash them out so much, unfortunately some of the focus was alittle wacky but I'm working on it.

Plague Bearer Squad 1:

Plague Bearer Squad 2:

Rot Horrors:

OKAY OKAY I'LL CHANGE THE GREEN ALREADY!

Joking. Appreciate the feedback. I like the green and highlight on the armour, but think I might go for brass guns with silver and black barrels and silver aguila. Or go for a dark grey with light grey highlight and gold aguila... Going to try the brass this eveing and see if it can work. I want kinda punchy and bold rather than subtle and deep.

I'm not totally happy with the skintone yet myself... Want it a bit darker...

That shot had some kinda hipstamatic grade on my phone also, so I shall do a better snap this time and post the pic rather than a link!

Thanks again for the feedback.

Very Nice Demons! Im impressed with how well the green translated onto the horrors! you'll have a very unifed looking army. What do you plan on working next?
The bases also really fit well with the units - well done.